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Tag Archives: Cassie

“I really like that top. What’s it called?” Awaiting Cassie’s reply, Alec reaches across the table and places his hand underneath the elastic forming the low, plunging neck line of her top. His fingers lightly rub the lacy bra underneath.

“It’s called a peasant top.” She gently removes his hand from her blouse. “Should we skip breakfast and go somewhere private?”

Before Alec answers, a voice interrupts.

“Would you two like to order something?”

The waitress has been standing there for minutes, but neither of them noticed her.

“Mom!” Cassie springs from her seat and embraces her mother. She points to Alec. “Mom, I’d like you to meet a good friend of mine. This is Alec Thornton.”

Alec’s face turns ashen and he feels his throat tighten. Cassie’s mother, the lady behind the counter and one of his clients, stands before him. He controls his breathing to remain calm, and the two of them lock eyes. He decides Cassie need not know of their arrangement and he hopes her mother feels the same.

Mrs. Montgomery sits down next to Cassie and they engage in small talk.

“I can’t talk but for a moment. I’m working until six. What are you two doing out so late, or up so early?”

Alec avoids her gaze and doesn’t react to her attempt at humor. He instead pretends to be interested in a conversation occurring in the next booth over.

“Alec picked me up at a party and he remembered me saying you worked here and he wanted to meet you. And we were hungry and this is the only place open this time of night.”

Alec catches Mrs. Montgomery’s eyes, but he’s having trouble reading her. He remains quiet as mother and daughter chit chat for a few more minutes.

Mrs. Montgomery, reacting to the man behind the cash register, stands, and with notepad in hand says, “What can I get for you two?”

Cassie says, “We’ll both have waffles with blueberry syrup.”

Mrs. Montgomery writes the order on her pad. “Anything else?”

Cassie turns to Alec, who faces in the opposite direction. “Alec, anything else?”

“I’ll have a cup of coffee. Black.”

Mrs. Montgomery closes her notepad. “It’ll be here before you know it,” and then disappears behind the counter.

Cassie frowns. “You weren’t very friendly. That’s my mom and you acted like she wasn’t even there. What’s wrong with you? You’re so moody.”

He may have messed up an opportunity for sex later on, so Alec attempts to repair the damage. “I’m sorry. I guess your mom intimidates me. Besides, I thought you two wanted to catch up.”

Cassie reaches across the table and runs her fingers across Alec’s forearm. “When we’re done eating, why don’t we go to the barn and see your boat. It should be private enough for us, don’t you think?”

The tension exited with Cassie’s mother, and Alec’s earlier good mood has returned. He’ll deal with the ramifications of this recent revelation at a later time.

When they step onto the parking lot, Alec stops. His grip tightens on Cassie’s wrist and he points to a place on the other side of the lot. “See the pickup parked over there?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“You know whose pickup it is?” A scowl forms on Alec’s face.

“I have no idea.”

Alec spits out, “That’s the Winston brother’s truck. They’re the bastards who cut my tire and keyed my car. They weren’t in the restaurant, so where are they?”

“Maybe they parked their truck here and went off with someone else.”

Alec pulls Cassie along. “I have an idea. Follow me.”

Cassie resists. “Wait Alec. You told me earlier they’re dangerous. Why do you want to start something with them now?”

“I also told you they already started something, whether I wanted to participate or not. It’s time for some payback, and it starts tonight. If you don’t want to come, here are the car keys. You can wait for me there.”

Alec remains low and moves across the parking lot, maneuvering between parked cars and out of the light as much as possible. For a moment Cassie hesitates, but then follows behind.

Still a distance from the pickup, Alec glances toward the restaurant entrance. And then to the pickup. And back to the restaurant. He dashes between vehicles, in a serpentine movement, to the other side of the lot.

Reaching the side of the truck opposite the restaurant, in a dark secluded corner of the lot, Alec squats down and retrieves two small pieces of gravel. Duck walking to the front of the truck, he reaches down and gropes for the tire valve stem and removes the cap. He wedges the piece of gravel into the stem valve, which creates a hissing sound as the air in the tire slowly escapes. When the piece of gravel is firmly in place, he moves to the rear tire and repeats the operation.

Alec whispers to Cassie, “Do you hear the air? Put your head down here and listen.”

Cassie bends down. “Yeah. I hear it.”

“It’s going to take a while, but eventually both of these tires will be flat as a pancake and they only have one spare in the back of their truck. Bastards.”

Alec stands and pokes his head around the tailgate to steal a glimpse at the restaurant. “I don’t see anybody.”

Squatting down again, he visually inspects the surface of the lot.

“What are you looking for?” Cassie asks.

“A rock. One with sharp edges.”

Cassie scours another area of the lot with better lighting and finds a good size rock. She holds up her discovery. “Like this one?”

“Just like that.”

Kneeling alongside the truck, still hidden from view, Alec gouges a deep fissure in the paint, from the headlights to the rear bumper. When finished, he throws the rock into the woods and wipes his hands on his jeans. But he remains in place, motionless.

Cassie says, “What are we waiting for? Let’s get out of here. We’re going to get caught.”

“Do you have a piece of paper and a pen?”

Cassie removes her purse from her shoulder. “I might have something in here.”

As she digs through her purse, she comes across her “kit” wrapped in a scarf and glances up at Alec, but he’s watching the front of the restaurant and doesn’t notice. She pushes it to the side and continues searching.

“Will these do?” Cassie presents a Bic pen and a receipt from the QuikTrip.

“Yeah, that’s perfect.”

Alec takes the pen and receipt and scribbles out this note:

Nice truck, assholes. You two punks need to be on the lookout. You never know when you might be caught alone some night.

He places the note under the windshield wiper on the driver’s side.

“Let’s get out of here.”

Staying low, while weaving between parked cars, they arrive back at the Trans Am and climb inside. Alec instructs Cassie to lock her door and once they’ve determined it’s safe, they both burst out laughing at what they’ve pulled off.

Cassie inhales deeply and says, “Man that was fun. My heart is pounding. I haven’t—“

Alec catches his breath. “The fear of getting caught is half the fun. You think they’ll be surprised when they see what we’ve done?”

Cassie’s eyes widen. “What we’ve done? I didn’t do anything. You did all of it.”

“You found the rock. It’s your receipt and your pen. You’re as much in this as I am.”

Cassie freezes and her face whitens. “Is that them?”

“Where?” Alec’s eyes dart around the lot.

“Over by the truck.”

Alec peers out the window and sees two men standing next to the pickup, smoking cigarettes and chatting.

A loud honking and subsequent jerk of the steering wheel return Alec to the present and his car into the proper lane of traffic. The QuikTrip looms ahead and rather than waste gas, he pulls into the lot. He needs to think. Not wanting anything from inside, he finds a spot on the outer edge of the parking lot and shuts off his car. The sun sets early this time of year and dusk has passed.

Rain covers his windshield. It’s one of those early winter rains, the kind that falls steady and straight. The kind of rain that chills you to the bone. Alec sits alone—the radio silent—and the rain peppering the roof of his car adds to his melancholy. Viewed through vacant eyes, the lights from cars entering and leaving the lot are distorted by rain drops dripping down the windshield.

Soon, all the windows are fogged over, but Alec doesn’t bother with the defroster. Instead he’s content to sit and contemplate. He wonders why he ever allowed Charlie Nichols to own him or why he continues to do Charlie’s dirty work. He can’t tell Robbie or Jason; he doesn’t want to drag them into this. But it’s more than that. He’s ashamed of his weakness. He assures himself that a finished boat will allow him to leave his troubles in Aubreyville far behind. But until then, he has no one in whom to confide. He feels lonely in his brand new Trans Am.

A light tapping on the passenger window startles Alec. Through the glass he notices the outline of a figure standing next to the car. He lowers the window.

“Hi. Can I come in? It’s wet out here,” A young girl stands outside, with water dripping from her nose and the tips of her long, blonde hair. “Nice car.”

Caught off guard, Alec answers, “Sure. Come on in. Yeah, the car’s new. Only fifty miles on it.”

Alec recognizes the girl from school, but doesn’t know her name. He thinks she may be in the class two grades ahead of him, or it could be she already graduated. “What’s up?” Alec asks.

The clothes underneath her jacket have gotten wet. The girl appears well proportioned, with her shape clearly outlined in her clingy, wet blouse.

“Oh, I was just walking around town when it started pouring down rain. What about you?” She has an engaging smile.

“I bought their new release, The Wall. Listen to this.” He starts the tape and then drives the two of them eastward out of town.

Cassie sits back and seems entranced by the music. Alec focuses on the rain soaked highway in front of him, but catches himself casting furtive glances in her direction. He finds her very attractive and his heart pounds. The warmth of the car dries her clothes and Alec inhales the intoxicating scent of sweet perfume. Cassie doesn’t acknowledge Alec’s attention.

Comfortably Numb comes on and Cassie listens intently to the lyrics. Her eyes glaze over with moisture.

“Just a little pin prick. He’s talking about heroin you know.” Alec watches for a reaction.

Cassie faces Alec, and with a sad expression in her eyes says, “Yeah, I know.”

Feeling uncomfortable, Alec changes the subject, “Man, listen to those guitars. Beautiful song, isn’t it? How can a sad song be so pretty?” He realizes he could be talking about her.

As they leave the lights of town behind them, Alec exits onto a side road and continues driving. Cassie ejects the cassette. “I’m tired of music. Can we talk?”

“Sure. That’s cool. Are you out of school?” Alec tries unsuccessfully to keep his eyes on the road.

“I’m out of school, but I didn’t finish. I dropped out my senior year.”

“Where do you live? Do you have any brothers or sisters? I’m not sure I remember seeing you in school.”

“Well, you’re a few years younger than me. What grade are you in?”

“I’m a sophomore, soon to be a senior. What about your family?”

“What do you mean, ‘Soon to be a senior’?” Cassie asks.

“Well, I have plans to leave here as soon as I graduate, and it can’t come too soon.”

Cassie seems to be avoiding the family questions, but Alec persists. “What about your family?”

Cassie sighs. “I live with my mother in a trailer park. You know the one over off Central Avenue?” Alec nods affirmation and Cassie continues, “I’ve never met my father. I have a little brother, Michael, but we’re so far apart in age, we don’t relate much. Mom works a lot, but doesn’t bring home much money. I’ve been working at William’s Metal Fabricating to help keep up with the bills. What about you?”

Alec wonders how a gorgeous girl like this can have that kind of life.

“I live out by the golf course. My dad is never home. He travels around the world for his job, but mainly stays in New York City. My mother spends most of her days at the country club or entertaining friends at parties.”

Cassie, upon hearing country club, leans in closer to Alec and listens intently. “I don’t have any brothers or sisters. I spend the majority of my time at the barn. Funny how such a large house can be empty so often.”

Cassie inquires about the barn and Alec tells her the story about his boat and his plans after school.

“Where is the barn?” she asks.

Alec describes the old logging road and she says she’s familiar with the place.

Now miles from town, Alec drives into an empty farm field and shuts off the car. For a moment they sit in silence and their warm breaths fog the windows. The rain patters soft and steady on the car’s exterior, creating a soothing and peaceful rhythm.

Alec has a hard time thinking of anything other than sex. All night he’s been casting glances at Cassie’s numerous physical attractions—her long blonde hair, smooth white skin, tight jeans accentuating long legs and a well-shaped ass—and he can’t keep his mind from wondering what her breasts are like underneath her blouse and lacy white bra.

Breaking the stillness, Cassie pushes the cassette tape back into the player, but dials the sound down so it becomes background noise. Alec leans back and closes his eyes, but his mind races.

Moments later, Cassie sits up and removes her jacket. She then takes off her blouse. Speechless, Alec stares at the alluring body being revealed to him in the light coming from the dash. It requires all his effort to control his emotions, but he maintains his composure and awaits her next move.